Method and electronic device for identifying golf swings and tracking statistics during a golf round

ABSTRACT

A system and method for automatically identifying a golf swing without any active participation on the part of the golfer is disclosed. The application program stored on and operating from an electronic device system uses data from a gyroscope and accelerometer to identify the golf swing. The system also automatically keeps statistics about the golfer&#39;s round of golf based on the GPS location of the identified swings.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/600,018, filed Oct. 11, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/740,020, filed Jun. 15, 2015, which claims thebenefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/012,676, filed Jun. 16, 2014. Both of the above applications areincorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to methods and electronic devices foridentifying golf swings and tracking statistics during a round of golf.

BACKGROUND

There are an estimated 24.1 million golfers in the United States, makingit among the most popular sports in the country. Golf is a sport drivenby statistics, and there is significant demand in the golf community forpersonalized golf statistics. Typically, golfers manually keep track ofrecords such as scores, greens in regulation, length of shots, andfairways hit. Such manual record keeping is subject to guesswork andhuman error. To alleviate these problems, automated techniques have beendeveloped. These methods have their own drawbacks, however. Automatedtechniques for recording golf statistics typically require wearabledevices, including those attached to golf equipment or the player. Oftenthese systems require an affirmative step before each golf shot, andsignificant time after the round to upload and capture the data.

Hybrid solutions have been developed using smartphones, but such systemstypically require manual entry of data by the user during or after theround, or require active use while on the course. Furthermore, manygolfers have a negative association with actively using cell phones andother technology during a round.

SUMMARY

The disclosure describes a novel electronic/software based system andmethod for automatically identifying a golf swing without any activeparticipation on the part of the golfer with the system and method,other than the golfer carrying with him or her, the electronic devicethat the system and application program are stored on. In a preferredbut non-limiting embodiment, the electronic device can be a smartphoneor smart watch. The application program stored on and operating from anelectronic device system uses data from a gyroscope and accelerometer toidentify the golf swing. The gyroscope and accelerometer can also bepart of the smartphone or smart watch. The application program crossreferences/compares a golfer's potential swing against/with a calibratedprocess to eliminate false positives using built-in logic. The systemand method also automatically keeps statistics about the golfer's roundof golf based on the GPS location of the identified swings and logic toeliminate practice swings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the appended claims set forth the features of the presenttechniques with particularity, these techniques may be best understoodfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1A is a block diagram that shows example components of theelectronic device;

FIGS. 1B, 2, 3, and 4 are flowcharts showing various functions of theelectronic device; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 show how different swings can be distinguished based ongyroscope readings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is directed to a method and electronic device (“device”)that passively compiles statistical information during a round of golf.Possible embodiments of the device include a smartphone or similarlyenabled device worn by a user (such as in a pants pocket, holstered tothe golfer's belt, on a wrist, etc.). In various embodiments, anapplication executing on the device analyzes data from a gyroscopesensor, accelerometer sensor, and global positioning system (“GPS”)capabilities within the device itself as well as information from otherpersonal electronic devices to automatically record golfing statistics.These statistics include, but are not limited to: driving distance,number of putts, approach distance, shot dispersion, fairways hit,greens in regulation, approach accuracy from different yardages, longestdrive, individual round vs. historical performance, and personalizedtrend analysis.

When swinging a club, the motion of a user's body can be measured by thegyroscope and accelerometer sensors present within the device. The golfswing motion creates a distinct pattern in the gyroscope andaccelerometer sensor data that is distinguishable from other motions agolfer makes while on the golf course. The device monitors theseinstruments until it identifies readings consistent with a golf swing.When calibrated to the user, a built in logic engine (executing as partof the application) eliminates false positives and practice swings,ensuring that only true swings are recorded by the application. Usingthe GPS data, the application can track shot location within feet,allowing for real-time monitoring, recording, and tracking ofpersonalized golf scores and statistics.

Turning to FIG. 1A, an embodiment of the electronic device, generallylabeled 100, includes a processor 102, network communication hardware104 (e.g., WiFi chip or a cellular baseband chipset), a gyroscope 106, amemory 108, an accelerometer 110, a GPS unit 112, and an interactivedisplay 114 (e.g., a touchscreen, etc.). Each of the elements of FIG. 1Ais communicatively linked to one or more other elements via one or moredata pathways 116. Possible implementations of the data pathways 116include, without limitation, wires, conductive pathways on a microchip,and wireless connections. Possible implementations of the processor 102include, without limitation, a microprocessor, microcontroller and acontroller. In various embodiments, the processor 102 retrievesinstructions and data from the memory 108 and, using the instructionsand data, carries out many of the methods described herein. Among thepossible instructions that the processor 102 carries out include thoseof an application program 118. Thus, when this disclosure refers to theapplication program 118 carrying out an action, it is, in manyembodiments, the processor 102 that actually carries out the action (incoordination with other hardware components of the device 100 asnecessary).

The memory 108 can be implemented as volatile memory, non-volatilememory, or a combination thereof. The memory 108 may be implemented inmultiple physical locations and across multiple types of media (e.g.,dynamic random access memory plus a hard disk drive, cloud based, etc.).

In an embodiment, the application program 118 monitors the accelerometer110 and the gyroscope 106 to determine when the user has taken a shot,as will be described below in further detail in conjunction with FIGS.3-5 . Once the application program 118 detects a shot, the applicationprogram 118 records the shot's location based on the user's locationusing the GPS unit 112. The application program 118 will automaticallycalculate any pertinent golf statistics such as, but not limited to,shot distance, whether a shot was out-of-bounds or in a hazard, drivingdistance, number of putts, approach distance, shot dispersion, fairwayshit, greens in regulation, approach accuracy from different yardages,longest drive, and further personalized golfing statistics. Optionally,the user may add events (e.g., via the interactive display 114) such aspenalty strokes or notes to account for certain hazards and drops. Theapplication program 118 saves this data to an electronic file 120. Userinputs are optional if the user wishes to add events. These can beinputted by the user on the device 100 directly.

The application program 118 uses the GPS unit 112 to obtain the user'slocation when the application 118 detects a swing or putt. Theapplication program 118 also uses the GPS unit 112 to determine where onthe course the user has made a shot. This application program 118 usesthe data to determine the user's score and other personalizedstatistics. This process is described in further detail below inconjunction with FIG. 4 .

By using the network communication hardware 104, the application program118 can communicate with a remotely located server 122 over a publicnetwork 124 (e.g., the Internet). The server 122 (which has a databaseof golf courses and their layouts) will provide the application program118 with updated data on the golf course on which the user is playing.

Turning to FIG. 1B, actions carried out by the device 100 to calibratethe application program 118 in an embodiment are as follows. At F1 a,the application program 118 prompts the user to take swings to calibratethe application program 118.

The application program 118 asks the user (via the interactive display114) to take three calibration full swings, three calibration chipshots, and three calibration putts with the device on their person. Theapplication program 118 records the sensor readings from the gyroscope106 and accelerometer 110 before, during, and after each swing. Thegyroscope 106 measures the rotation of the device 100 along the x, y,and z-axis. The accelerometer 110 measures the magnitude of g-forceacceleration exerted on the device 100 during a swing.

At F1 b, the application program 118 queries the user to find outwhether the swings were performed correctly. If the user inputs anaffirmative response, the process moves to F1 c, at which theapplication program 118 saves the gyroscope and accelerometer readingstaken during the calibration swings to an electronic file 120 in thememory 108. The application program 118 will eventually use thesereadings as a baseline to detect when the user makes subsequent swingsand to eliminate false positives. If the user inputs a negativeresponse, the calibration process returns to F1 a.

Turning to FIG. 2 , actions carried out by the device 100 to determinethe golf course on which the user is playing in one non-limitingembodiment are as follows. At F2 a, when the application program 118 isinitialized, the application program 118 uses data from the GPS unit 112to determine the user's location. Based on the user's GPS coordinates,the application program 118 will automatically contact the server 122 tosearch an indexed database of known golf courses and determine whichcourse the golfer is playing preferably based on the user's locationinformation.

At F2 b, the application program 118 prompts the user to confirm thatthe application program 118 has correctly identified which course theuser is playing on. This will be most useful at locations with multiplegolf courses. However, it is within the scope of the disclosure that theapplication program can recognize which course from multiple golfcourses, where the GPS data information provides a precise or almostprecise geographical spot of the user's exact location, such that theuser's location is matched to a specific one of the multiple golfcourses at the general location (e.g. country club with two or more 18hole courses, etc.).

At F2 c, the application program 118 receives the user's response to theprompt of F2 b. If the user responds affirmatively, the process moves toF2 e, at which the application program 118 downloads from the server 122(via the network 124) the relevant course information in order to keepthe user's statistics in the manner described in FIGS. 3-5 . The courseinformation can include a map of the golf course with the locations ofrelevant golf course features. These locations include but are notlimited to: tee-boxes, fairways, greens, bunkers, holes, and/orout-of-bounds locations.

If the user inputs a negative response, the process moves to F2 d, atwhich the application program 118 prompts the user to select the correctgolf course from choices provided by the application program 118. Theprocess then moves to F2 e, at which it ends.

Turning to FIG. 3 , actions carried out by the device 100 to record theuser's golf swings during a round in one non-limiting embodiment are asfollows. At F3 a, using the method described in conjunction with FIG. 2, the application program 118 automatically determines which course onwhich the user is playing. The application program 118 continuouslymonitors the gyroscope 106 and accelerometer 110 to determine when theuser takes a swing.

At F3 b, when the gyroscope 106 detects rotational movement around thex, y, or z-axis of the device 100 (otherwise known as roll, pitch, andyaw), the application program 118 automatically measures and recordsthat rotation. The application program 118 then compares thesemeasurements to those taken during the user's calibration shots. Forexample, during a typical full swing, the gyroscope's y-axis shows arapid increase in amplitude. A corresponding but smaller increase in theamplitude of the x and z-axis is consistent with the characteristics ofa full swing.

If there is a match or near-match between the rotation of the device 100during a shot and the rotation of the device 100 during a calibrationswing, the application program 118 also compares the acceleration (asmeasured by the accelerometer 110) of the recorded movement to thecalibration swings. If the readings from both the gyroscope 106 and theaccelerometer 110 match or nearly match the readings of the gyroscope106 and the accelerometer 110 taken from a calibration swing, then theapplication program 118 records that the user has taken a potentialshot. If there is not a match, then no stroke is recorded, and theapplication program 118 resumes monitoring. This eliminatesfalse-positives and movements other than golf swings from being recordedas a swing.

At F3 c, once the application program 118 detects a potential shot, theapplication program 118 obtains the user's location from the GPS unit112 and records the location of the potential shot.

At F3 d, the application program 118 determines whether to count theshot. If the application program 118 detects one or more potential shotswithin predetermined time and/or distance parameters, the applicationprogram 118 preferably only records the latest shot in time in theuser's statistics. The application program 118 will consider any priorpotential shot occurring within these parameters to be a practice swing,and thus will not include such shots in the user's score or statistics.

At F3 e, if there are no further potential shots made within apredetermined time and distance of a detected shot, the applicationprogram 118 records a shot as having been taken at that location (arecorded shot). The application program 118 records the shot's GPSlocation, adds the shot to the golfer's score and statistics, and savesthe updated statistics to the electronic file 120. By using the GPS unit112 to determine shot location, and using the gyroscope 106 andaccelerometer 110 to determine when a shot has been made, theapplication program 118 will automatically determine statistics such as,but not limited to, driving distance, number of putts, approachdistance, shot dispersion, fairways hit, greens in regulation, approachaccuracy from different yardages, longest drive, and furtherpersonalized golfing statistics. An embodiment of such a determiningprocess is further described in conjunction with FIG. 4 .

At F3 f, the application program 118 will determine whether the round isover. If there are no further potential shots made within apredetermined time after a recorded shot has been made at the final holeof the course, the application program 118 will determine that the userhas ended his or her round and, using the GPS coordinates of allprevious shot locations, calculate all relevant golf statistics for theround as well as comparisons to prior rounds at the same course andother courses. Otherwise, the process returns to F3 a. Optionally, theuser can also input on the interactive display that the round of golfhas ended which can also automatically cause application program 118 tocalculate the relevant golf statistics.

Turning to FIG. 4 , actions carried out by the device 100 to use GPSdata to determine golf statistics in an embodiment are as follows. At F4a, the application program 118 carries out the process described inconjunction with FIG. 3 . At F4 b, when the application program 118detects a shot, the application program 118 obtains the user's locationfrom the GPS and records the location of the shot. At F4 c, based on theGPS coordinates, the application program 118 uses the location of therecorded shot to determine the type of shot the user made (e.g., drive,putt, or chip). The application program 118 uses data from the server122 to determine the hole on which the user is playing, where on thatparticular hole the user's recorded shot was made, and whether the holeis a par 3, 4, or 5. The application program 118 keeps differentstatistics based on both the length of the hole, and the type ofrecorded shot the golfer makes. To determine what type of shot the usermade, the application program 118 uses data from the GPS unit 112 todetermine whether the shot was made from the tee box, the green, or anyother location on the course, such as a fairway or rough.

At F4 d, when a recorded shot is made from inside the tee box, theapplication program 118 recognizes that the user has begun playing a newhole, compiles the statistics from the previous hole, and begins torecord statistics for the new hole. Based on the par for each hole, theapplication program 118 automatically tracks different statistics (e.g.,driving distance is not tracked on a par 3 hole, but is for par 4 and 5holes). When a recorded shot is made from the tee box on a par 4 or 5hole, the location of the subsequent recorded shot allows theapplication program 118 to determine statistics such as driving distanceand accuracy automatically. When a recorded shot is made from the teebox on a par 3 hole, the location of the subsequent recorded shot, chip,or putt (as obtained from the GPS unit 112) allows the applicationprogram 118 to determine statistics such as greens in regulationautomatically.

Thus in one non-limiting embodiment, preferably for the tee shot on par4 or 5 holes (though the technology could be used to determine thelength of any golf shot, the GPS data determines the location where thegolfer performs the first true golf swing for the tee shot and thendetermines the location that the golfer performs his or her next secondtrue golf swing which should be the location of the golf ball on theparticular hole from the tee shot. The distance between these twolocations provides the distance that the golf ball traveled from thegolfer's tee shot and can be used for calculating driving statistics. Asmentioned above, this calculating technique can be used to calculate thedistance any golf shot achieved, through the use of the GPS location ofthe golfer at consecutive true golf swings.

When a recorded shot is made from a location other than the tee box orgreen, the application program 118 can determine whether the golfer'sprior shot finished within or missed the fairway. This informationallows the application program 118 to automatically compile statisticsat the end of the round such as fairways hit, greens in regulation, teeshot dispersion, and approach shot dispersion. For shots within apre-determined distance of the hole, the application will calculatechipping accuracy and scrambling as well.

When a recorded shot is made from a green and/or the location of recordputts on the green, allows the application program 118 to keep track ofputting statistics, such as up-and-downs and lengths of putts.

At F4 e, after the first hole, when a recorded shot is made from the teebox, the application program 118 compiles the GPS location of allrecorded shots made during the prior hole. This allows the applicationprogram 118 to determine all applicable golf statistics automatically.Possible statistics include, without limitation: approach distance, shotdispersion, fairways hit, greens in regulation, approach accuracy fromdifferent yardages, longest drive, and further personalized golfingstatistics. Once the user completes the final hole of the course, theapplication program 118 tabulates statistics for the entire round, andcan compare statistics between previously played rounds for the samegolf course or other golf courses.

FIG. 5 shows an example of how the application program 118 can identifya full swing using the readings of the gyroscope 106. During a fullswing, the primary indicator for detecting a swing is the y-axis datafrom gyroscope 106. The baseline reading of each axis is 0 radians persecond (rad/s). During a golfer's backswing, there is generallyrotational movement consistently around 1 rad/s. The through-swing showsa consistent max amplitude of about 6 or more rad/s. The x and z-axisdata consistently oscillates similarly to the y-axis, but to a lessermagnitude.

Using the unique motion of each user's swing, the application will beable to identify swings based on the readings from the gyroscope, andsubsequently confirm that a swing took place using data from theaccelerometer. When the application program 118 detects a swing, ittakes the GPS coordinates of the golfer's location and records them,thus automatically tracking the location of shots taken during a round.

FIG. 6 shows an example of how the application program 118 can identifya putt using the gyroscope readings from the device. During a putt, thegyroscope data appears as a low amplitude version of a full swing, butwith far less z-axis rotation. Typical motions during a putting routine,including squatting behind the ball and picking up the ball to mark itslocation, create distinctive gyroscope and accelerometer data patterns.Using the unique motion of each user's body during a putt, theapplication program 118 will be able to identify putts based on thereadings from the gyroscope 106, and subsequently confirm that a swingtook place using data from the accelerometer 110. Just as with fullswings, when the application program 118 detects a putt, the applicationprogram 118 obtains the GPS coordinates of the user's location andrecords them, thus automatically tracking the location of shots takenduring a round. As an additional option, to further confirm that a putthas taken place, the application program 118 can use the match the GPScoordinates of the user's location to the information stored/obtainedregarding the golf course being played to confirm that the GPScoordinates place the golfer on the green or just off the green wherethe golfer may still take a putt shot.

In various embodiments, the methods and electronic device describedherein may provide a golfer with highly accurate and personalizedstatistics. It will provide the golfer with significant advantages overexisting scorekeeping and statistical tracking methods. These include:(1) The application program 118 can be run on a smartphone, which 3 outof 4 golfers already own, therefore negating the need for expensiveadditional technology. (2) The application program 118 compilesstatistical information automatically, eliminating guesswork and/ordistractions from a golfer's focus on the course. (3) The applicationprogram 118 provides golfers with extensive statistical informationautomatically, eliminating the need for an affirmative step during around. (4) The application program 118 eliminates the stigma of activelyusing technology during a round to compile statistical data. (5) Theapplication program 118 uses the GPS unit 112 to automatically determineshot distance and other statistics, giving the user more accurateinformation than estimating from yardage markers. (6) The applicationprogram 118 tracks the golfer's statistics from round to round, allowingthe golfer to use the application program 118 to improve his or her golfgame.

The following table explaining some of the terms used herein is providedfor ease of reference.

Accelero- An electronic component that detects acceleration. meterTypically can detect acceleration on two or three axis, allowing it tosense motion and orientation. Gyroscope A component that measures theorientation of the device. It can sense motion and rotation along thedevice's x, y, and z-axis. Global A global system of navigationalsatellites developed Positioning to provide precise System positionaland velocity data used to determine the position (“GPS”) of anyone oranything equipped with a GPS enabled device. Smart- A device thatcombines a cellular phone with phone additional technology including butnot limited to: internet access, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and GPScapability. Par The number of strokes a skilled golfer should take toget the ball from the tee into the hole for a particular golf hole.Greens in A statistic used for describing in percentage Regulation termsthe number of times a player gets his or her ball onto the puttingsurface in two shots fewer than the par for the hole. Practice A swingmade by a golfer prior to striking the ball, which Swing does not counttowards his or her score. Driving The measure of distance of the firstshot made on a Distance par 4 or par 5 hole. Number The number ofstrokes taken by a golfer once the ball has of Putts reached the puttinggreen. Approach A shot from the fairway intended to reach the Shot greenor the hole. Shot A measure of the precision of shots made with the sameDispersion club directed at the same target. Fairways The percentage oftimes a golfer's first shot on a par 4 or Hit par 5 lands on any part ofthe fairway. G-Force A force acting on a body as a result ofacceleration or gravity, informally described in units of accelerationequal to one g. Calibration A swing made by the golfer to calibrate theapplication. Swing Amplitude The maximum extent of a vibration oroscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium. X-Axis The twistor oscillation around an axis parallel to (Roll) the direction ofmotion. Y-Axis The twist or oscillation around a horizontal axis.(Pitch) Z-Axis The twist or oscillation around a vertical axis. (Yaw)Potential A shot made by the golfer which may or may not count Shottowards the golfer's statistics. Recorded A shot made by the golfer thatthe Shot application has determined will count towards the golfer'sstatistics. Tee Box The area at the start of a hole from which agolfer's first stroke is taken. Fairway The portion of a golf coursebetween a tee box and the corresponding green, with shorter grass thanthe surrounding area. Rough The portion of a golf course outside of thefairways that generally has taller or thicker grass than the fairway.

It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described hereinshould be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodimentshould typically be considered as available for other similar featuresor aspects in other embodiments. While one or more embodiments have beendescribed with reference to the figures, it will be understood by thoseof ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detailsmay be made therein without departing from their spirit and scope.

All components of the described system and their locations, electroniccommunication methods between the system components, electronic storagemechanisms, etc. discussed above or shown in the drawings, if any, aremerely by way of example and are not considered limiting and othercomponent(s) and their locations, electronic communication methods,electronic storage mechanisms, etc. can be chosen and used and all areconsidered within the scope of the disclosure.

Unless feature(s), part(s), component(s), characteristic(s) orfunction(s) described in the specification or shown in the drawings fora claim element, claim step or claim term specifically appear in theclaim with the claim element, claim step or claim term, then theinventor does not consider such feature(s), part(s), component(s),characteristic(s) or function(s) to be included for the claim element,claim step or claim term in the claim when and if the claim element,claim step or claim term is interpreted or construed. Similarly, withrespect to any “means for” elements in the claims, the inventorconsiders such language to require only the minimal amount of features,components, steps, or parts from the specification to achieve thefunction of the “means for” language and not all of the features,components, steps or parts describe in the specification that arerelated to the function of the “means for” language.

While the system and method have been described and disclosed in certainterms and has disclosed certain embodiments or modifications, personsskilled in the art who have acquainted themselves with the disclosure,will appreciate that it is not necessarily limited by such terms, nor tothe specific embodiments and modification disclosed herein. Thus, a widevariety of alternatives, suggested by the teachings herein, can bepracticed without departing from the spirit of the disclosure, andrights to such alternatives are particularly reserved and consideredwithin the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer implemented method performed by anapplication program running on an electronic device of a golfer foridentifying when a golfer takes a real golf swing as opposed to apractice golf swing during a game of golf, said method comprising thesteps: (a) prior to starting a game of golf, receiving by the electronicdevice digital data representing a plurality of golf swings performed bythe golfer; (b) receiving electronic approval of the golf swings fromthe golfer by the application program; (c) only after receivingelectronic approval from the golfer in step (b), receiving data from agyroscope and an accelerometer disposed within the electronic devicewhen the golfer takes a golf swing during the game of golf; (d)electronically comparing, by the application program, the received datafor the golf swing taken during the game of golf against the datareceived in step (a) that was approved in step (b); and (e) counting thegolf swing as a real golf swing during a current game of golf by theapplication program where the received data matches or is within apredetermined threshold or percentage of one of the golf swingsrepresented by the data received in step (a).
 2. The computerimplemented method for identifying of claim 1 wherein the data from step(a) is created by the following steps: (i) electronically prompting thegolfer to take a plurality of golf swings by the application program;(ii) electronically recording the readings or data from the gyroscopeand accelerometer before, during and after each golf swing to measure arotation of the electronic device along an x, y and z-axis and amagnitude of g-force acceleration exerted on the electronic deviceduring each golf swing; and (iii) electronically saving the readings ordata from the golf swings by the application program to an electronicfile of a memory component.
 3. The computer implemented method foridentifying of claim 2 wherein step (i) comprises prompting the golferto take a plurality of full golf swings, a plurality of chip shot golfswings and a plurality of putting golf swings.
 4. The computerimplemented method for identifying of claim 2 further comprising thesteps of electronically querying the golfer by the application programto indicate either yes or no or an equivalent thereto as to whether theplurality of golf swings are acceptable to the golfer and electronicallyreceiving either (I) an affirmative response from the golfer by theapplication program prior to performing step (iii) or (II) a negativeresponse from the golfer and repeating steps (i) and (ii) and thenelectronically querying the golfer again to see if the golfer acceptsthe plurality of repeated swings.
 5. A computer implemented method forrecording a golfer's golf swings during a round of golf, said methodcomprising the steps of: (a1) receiving GPS coordinates for a specificgolf course by an application program running on an electronic deviceworn or carried by a golfer while the golfer is at the specific golfcourse but prior to the golfer beginning a game of golf at the specificgolf course; (a2) automatically and electronically determining aspecific golf course by the application program based on GPS coordinatesreceived by the electronic device in step (a1) prior to the golferbeginning a game of golf at the specific golf course; (b) comparing, bythe application program, measurements obtained from a gyroscopecontained within the electronic device for golf swings taken by thegolfer during the game of golf began to previously stored measurementsfrom the gyroscope representing real golf swings by the golfer takenprior to beginning the game of golf; (c) if a match is determined by theapplication program from the comparing in step (b), electronicallyrecording, by the application program, that a potential golf shot hasbeen taken by the golfer; and (d) determining by the application programwhether to count the potential golf shot as an actual golf shot for around of golf that the golfer is currently participating in.
 6. Thecomputer implemented method for identifying of claim 5 furthercomprising the step of electronically obtaining a current location forthe golfer on the golf course by the application program from locationdata received from a GPS unit contained within the electronic device. 7.The computer implemented method for recording of claim 5 wherein steps(a1) and (a2) comprise the steps of: (i) receiving GPS location data forthe golfer by the application program from a GPS unit contained withinthe electronic device; (ii) electronically contacting a server by theapplication program to search an indexed database of known golf courseswith the GPS location data; and (iii) electronically receivingelectronic information from the server identifying a specific golfcourse associated with the GPS location data.
 8. The computerimplemented method for recording of claim 7 further comprising the stepsof electronically querying the golfer by the application program to askif the specific golf course identified by the server is the golf coursethat the golfer is currently playing on or about to play on andelectronically receiving an affirmative response from the golfer by theapplication program.
 9. The computer implemented method of claim 5wherein step (i) comprises the steps of: (i1) within a predeterminedtime or distance from the potential golf shot, if there are no otherpotential golf shots detected by the application program, automaticallyrecording the potential golf shot as an actual golf shot taken by thegolfer for the current round of golf; or (i2) within a predeterminedtime or distance from the potential golf shot, if one or more otherpotential golf shots were detected by the application program,automatically recording the latest golf shot in time as the actual golfshot taken by the golfer for the current round of golf.
 10. The computerimplemented method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of: (j1)electronically obtaining a current location of a golf ball from theactual golf shot recorded in step (i2) by the application program fromlocation data received from a GPS unit contained within the electronicdevice; (j2) electronically adding information regarding the actual golfshot by the application program to a previously saved score andpreviously saved statistics for the golfer for the current round of golfresulting in an updated score and updated statistics; and (j3)electronically saving the updated score and updated statistics to anelectronic file of a memory component by the application program. 11.The computer implemented method of claim 10 further comprising the stepof electronically determining if the current round of golf has ended bythe application program.
 12. The computer implemented method of claim 11wherein the step of electronically determining if the current round ofgolf has ended comprises the step of electronically determining by theapplication program when no further potential shots have been detectedby the application program within a predetermined time after an actualgolf shot has been recorded at a final hole for the golf coursedetermined in step (a).
 13. The computer implemented method of claim 12further comprising the step of calculating one or more golf statisticsby the application program based on GPS golfer shot locations for thecurrent round of golf stored in the electronic file or anotherelectronic file of the memory component.
 14. A computer implementedmethod for recording a golfer's golf swings during a round of golf anddetermining golf statistics for the golfer, said method comprising thesteps of: (a) receiving GPS coordinates for a specific golf course by anapplication program running on an electronic device worn or carried by agolfer while the golfer is at the specific golf course but prior to thegolfer beginning a game of golf at the specific golf course; (b)automatically and electronically determining a specific golf course bythe application program based on GPS coordinates received by theelectronic device in step (a1) prior to the golfer beginning a game ofgolf at the specific golf course; (c) electronically detecting by theapplication program when the golfer has taken a golf shot based oninformation received by the application program from a gyroscope andaccelerometer contained within the electronic device; (d) electronicallyreceiving current location data of the golfer for the actual golf shotdetected in step (c) by the application program from a GPS unitcontained within the electronic device; (e) electronically recording thelocation of the actual golf shot by the application program; and (f)based on the location of the actual golf shot; electronicallydetermining by the application program a type of shot the golfer made.15. The computer implemented method for recording of claim 14 whereinstep (f) comprising the steps of: (f1) electronically determining by theapplication program whether the actual golf shot was taken by the golferat a tee box area, fairway area, rough, out of bounds or green area fora golf hole; and (f2) electronically identifying the actual golf shot asa drive, putt or chip depending on which area of the golf hole isdetermined by the application program in step (f1).
 16. The computerimplemented method for recording of claim 14 further comprising thesteps of: (g) based on the received GPS data for a current location ofthe golfer and information for the golf course determined in step (a),electronically determining by the application program which hole of thegolf course the golfer is currently playing on or about to play on; (h)electronically determining by the application program from the receivedGPS data where on the hole determined in step (g) did the golfer takethe actual golf shot; and (i) electronically determining by theapplication program whether the hole determined is step (g) is a par 3,4 or
 5. 17. The computer implemented method for recording of claim 15further comprising the step of electronically compiling statistics for aprevious hole to the hole the golfer is currently playing or about toplay by the application program where the application programelectronically determined that the actual golf shot was taken by thegolfer from the tee box area in step (f1).
 18. The computer implementedmethod for recording of claim 15 when the actual golf shot is taken froma tee box area for a par 4 or par 5 hole further comprising the step ofautomatically determining driving distance and accuracy by theapplication program based on a location of a next subsequent detectedactual golf shot by the golfer.
 19. The computer implemented method forrecording of claim 15 when the actual golf shot is taken from a tee boxarea of a par 3 hole further comprising the step of automaticallydetermining greens in regulation by the application program based on alocation of a next subsequent detected actual golf shot by the golfer.